


I’ve Never Been One to Face the Obvious

by prettyboyblades



Category: Harry Potter - Fandom, Harry Potter - The Marauders, The Marauders - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Harry Potter Setting, Based loosely off of A Rose for Emily, Don’t look that up if you haven’t read it bc spoilers, F/M, M/M, Marauders era, Post-Hogwarts, alcohol consumption
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-11
Updated: 2020-06-12
Packaged: 2021-03-04 06:29:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,413
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24659146
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/prettyboyblades/pseuds/prettyboyblades
Summary: Inspired by A Rose for Emily (don’t look it up unless you want major spoilers) except its Wolfstar. Post-Hogwarts, everyone is still friends. James and Lily do not die, and Harry does not exist in this yet.Summary:Remus comes to terms with some of the major and minor details in his life. During so, he cannot help but ask, how the hell did he end up like this?
Relationships: James Potter/Lily Evans Potter, Sirius Black/Remus Lupin
Kudos: 4





	1. Until I Met You / The Bird Song

Whenever Remus used to sit back and imagine life after Hogwarts, he never imagined this. Well, to be blunt, he actually never imagined anything. He much preferred not to dwell on things that probably would not happen. In Remus’ opinion, it was already something short of a miracle he was able to attend Hogwarts in the first place, so it was asking for a bit much to imagine those he had met would stick around afterwards. Either way, he always found himself falling a bit quiet when his friends began to muse about life after school. Now, it’s not like Remus was a pessimistic individual, although Pete would argue greatly for the contrary, he just figured there was not much place for a dorky werewolf. Especially not next to his friends. Sirius and James were absolutely set on becoming something greater, fighting for what is right. And Peter, well, he looked quite squeamish about the entire matter but nodded enthusiastically nonetheless. 

Years passed and Remus found himself surprised to have kept his group of friends. But when Dumbledore offers one a place in a select group of wizards, who was he to say no. And that was how he found himself fighting Voldemort and the Death Eaters alongside his schoolmates. A little rag-tag group of talented witches and wizards Albus had deemed The Order of the Phoenix. Much like the members of the group, the organization was born among the flames, and meant to rise far beyond just the lot of them. At first he found great nuisance in his inability to help during certain times of the months, but after much convincing from James, Sirius, Peter, and Lily, he realized he was just as essential to the cause as they were. Circumstances disregarded, Remus was the most self-confident and self-assured he’d ever felt. 

The only thing Remus began to feel was not quite as successful as he might have hoped, lay within his romantic life. He was constantly surrounded by James and Lily’s soft and sweet love for each other. Nothing too uncomfortable, but for Remus even the little waves to each other as they passed struck deep within him. He’d never even considered, given his condition, that he might have something as pure and human as James and Lily or, even, Alice and Frank Longbottom had. Remus had never really had any romantic feeling for anyone during his school years. He did spend many nights listening to James pining for Lily, and Sirius discussing his latest fancy. But no one ever seemed to catch Remus’ eye, not even the ones who seemed to show an interest in him. That was until 6th year, shortly after the Marauders surprised him with their animagus forms. 

Back then the boys spent many nights in front of the common room fire, whispering about homework, talking quidditch, or even teasing one another. Nothing was super different on this particular night, except, Remus’ feelings. He found his heart fluttering slowly in his chest as he looked down at a sleeping Sirius, who was precariously balanced in his lap. Now Remus’ first thought was to deny the feeling immediately, but, after several moments, he found himself disappointed. Not in his lack of noticing his attraction to his best mate earlier, but, instead, because, of course, Remus would manage to be homosexual and a werewolf. So, of course, he never pursued his feelings. Sirius, James, and Peter were the closest things to family Remus had ever had, and he would not let some stupid crush get in the way of that. 

However, here Remus was. An official member of the Order and still hopelessly in love with his best friend. It had stayed this way since Hogwarts, and Remus was determined to hide his attraction for as long as he possibly could. And if that meant casual flirting for the sake of a joke, then Remus would laugh and joke right along with Sirius. No matter if it meant he’d spend the night crying over what might have been between the two of them. 

Life was easy. All was well. Until Remus experienced one of the biggest scares of his lifetime.


	2. It Was Never Really that Easy, My Darling

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Super quick update! Don’t get too used to it. I never know when I feel like writing.

Remus had never really considered his accident a tragedy. He’d always assumed that the universe gave him the karma he deserved for his actions far before he had even committed them. On nights when he found himself curled up in his sheets sobbing at the misfortunes he possessed, he remembers this fact. That was Remus cosmic punishment. The worst thing he figured could ever happen to him had already happened. What more could the universe to do hurt him?

He did not think much about Sirius’ mission that week. It was pretty conventional, if anything the circumstances made the whisperings and secretive notion about it normal. He did not fault Sirius for not indulging Remus in the details of his job. It was his job, and if Dumbledore had made Sirius promise secrecy, even with his best mates, then it was for the best. He thought this up until the moment Kingsley knocked on his door. 

Nothing really prepared him for the sinking feeling in his chest. Countless night tearing his skin into pieces underneath the full practically paled in comparison. Time seemed to move at snail’s pace but, somehow, it seemed to fly past Remus in a blur. He focused on the movement of Kingsley’s mouth. Remus caught snippets of “pretty bad,” “no one was supposed to know he was there,” and “we think it might have been Peter.” All of Kingsley’s words fell on deaf ears. 

The first words out of Remus’ mouth after Kingsley’s arrival were “Can I see him?” And Kingsley, with a grim face, obliged Remus’ wishes. 

Upon their arrival at St. Mungo’s, the atmosphere seemed to warp around them. Fellow witches and wizards sitting in crowded chairs waiting, pleading for some kind of sign everything was not lost yet. The first eyes Remus’ met were James’. Something stirred deep within his hazel eyes. James let out a deep breath, one he must have been holding for a while, “Remus…” he trailed off.  
“What was he doing there, James? What reason could he possibly have for going back there? Especially to see her,” Remus spat.   
“He only told me an hour before he left Remus. I promise I tried to talk him out of it. To convince him that no amount of inside intel was worth this. That Bellatrix was cunning and if he was exposed would not hesitate to- to” James’ voice cracked and he grew silent.  
“I- No one blames you, James. Merlin, no. We couldn’t even if we wanted to. Sirius wouldn't allow it.”  
At the mention of his name, James began to cry, almost as if he had forgotten for a moment. Lily’s voice rose over James’ sniffles, “They think- they think it was Peter, Remus. Peter. Our Peter. T-they think he might have been wooed by the promise of safety from the death eaters. He’s always been so squemish, but I can’t-“ her voice began to waver, “I can’t see him doing something like this. I mean, you four were practically brothers. He always doted on the three of you, especially Sirius. I- I know there is no one else who knew he was even on a mission there, but. Remus, our Pete?”  
Lily had gone from having a slight tremble to her voice to not being able to get a word out without cracking, tears streaming down her cheeks. Remus felt his blood boil as he went over what Lily had told him. Peter. Peter Pettigrew. One of his closest friends, one of their closest friends, had betrayed them. And he had nearly cost Sirus his life. But Remus couldn’t imagine the meek Peter he knew to be so cunning and cruel. Not the Peter that sat with him on late nights after a hard moon to talk. Not the Peter who tried his very hardest to become an animagus with James and Sirius for Remus. Not the Peter that begged Remus to help him before a big Charms test. Not their Peter. A marauder, just like the rest of them. 

Remus’ thoughts were interrupted by the shuffling of curtains. A tall woman holding a clipboard appeared from behind them. “I’m looking for the friends and family of a-“ she looked down, “Sirius Black?”

Remus’ throat closed. He, James, and Lily stepped forward. “That would be us.”


End file.
